Friday Nasiha

Living The Quran

Lasting Lesson
Luqman (Luqman) - Chapter 31: Verse 32 (partial)

"When waves engulf them (in the sea) like canopies, they call upon Allah, consecrating their faith solely to Him. But when He delivers them safely to the land, some of them become muqtasid."

The word used here is muqtasid which is open to more than one meaning. Were we to take iqtisad to mean rectitude and uprightness, the phrase would mean that even after the crisis is over and the person facing crisis lands on the shores of safety, he still adheres to tawhid, something to which he committed himself during his state of crisis. Experiencing such a crisis gave these righteous people constancy in adhering to tawhid. Alternatively, if the word is taken to signify a medial, moderate attitude, the verse would mean that the crisis they experienced had a moderating effect on some ardent devotees of atheism and polytheism. It may also mean that once the worst is over, people lose a part of their fervour and enthusiasm for God, which had been aroused as a result of the threatening circumstances that had come to surround them.

It is likely that the present verse embraces all these shades of meaning. The point stressed is that people perceive the truth when they are exposed to a severe storm during a sea voyage. In that hour of crisis they abjure both polytheism and atheism and invoke the One True God to help them out of the crisis. However, once God delivers them safely to land, only a few appear to have learnt any lasting lesson from the experience. Even those few can be divided into the following categories: (i) some truly mend their ways, (ii) the disbelief of some becomes somewhat diluted, and (iii) some retain a part of the sincerity engendered by the crisis.

Compiled From:
"Towards Understanding the Quran" - Sayyid Abul Ala Mawdudi, Vol. 8, p. 146

From Issue: 807 [Read original issue]

Understanding The Prophet's Life

Seeking God

The path to God is only illuminated when a person recognizes the central place of God, Allah, in his or her own life and strives hard to develop his or her self accordingly. The Messenger of Allah, (peace be upon him) said, "If someone wants to know what position he enjoys in the sight of God, he has to only look at what place he gives to God (in his heart and life)" (Hakim).

For the Believer, the most coveted goal in life is to seek the good pleasure of Allah and Janna (Paradise). Know, however, that attaining the pleasure of Allah takes precedence over seeking Janna but the two are closely connected. Paradise can only be attained through seeking Allah's pleasure, and when Allah's pleasure is gained, we will indeed be granted Paradise.

The alternate to attaining Paradise in the Hereafter is to be placed in Jahannam (Hellfire) and to receive punishments. Hellfire is for those who seek as their ultimate goal in life, not the pleasure of Allah or Paradise, but the enjoyment of worldly gains. The pursuit of worldly gain is but a mirage. All worldly gains are left behind when you die. All that remains on earth is bound to perish, while Allah and His good pleasure will remain for ever!

Compiled From:
"In The Early Hours" - Khurram Murad, pp. 1-3

From Issue: 750 [Read original issue]

Blindspot!

Enemy's Narratives

There is much talk of the need for dialogue as a way of improving international relations. But will it be an aggressive dialogue that seeks to humiliate, manipulate, or defeat? Are we prepared to "make place for the other," or are we determined simply to impose our own will? An essential part of this dialogue must be the effort to listen. We have to make a more serious effort to hear one another's narratives. All too often, when the enemy starts to tell his story, the other side interrupts, shouts him down, objects, and denounces it as false and inaccurate. But a story often reflects the inner meaning of an event rather than factual, historical accuracy. As any psychoanalyst knows, stories of pain, betrayal, and atrocity give expression to the emotional dimension of an episode, which is just as important to the speaker as what actually happened. We need to listen to the undercurrent of pain in our enemy's story. And we should be aware as well that our version of the same event is also likely to be a reflection upon our own situation and suffering rather than a dispassionate and wholly factual account. We have to learn to look carefully and deeply into our own hearts and thus learn to see the sorrow of our enemy.

Compiled From:
"Twelve Steps to a Compassionate Life" - Karen Armstrong, pp.187, 188

From Issue: 794 [Read original issue]